Hugo, Colorado TESOL Online & Teaching English Jobs

Classroom management Is the skill of organizing and managing the class, having a friendly, relaxed manner and maintaining discipline. The teacher is someone who is flexible and adjusts according to the Activity and situation without being dominant or leaving the students unattended. Eye contact conveys messages and is important for good rapport with the students. It is used to show students that they are all involved in the lesson, to ensure that students understand what they are supposed to do and what is going on, to indicate who is to speak (often with a nod of the head), to encourage contributions, to hold the attention of students who are not being addressed, to maintain discipline, to signal students to start, stop or get a move on, to indicate that something is correct or incorrect and to check that everybody is participating. Eye contact is not recommended when the focus is on fluency or in pairs/groups. Gestures convey the meaning of language, manage the class – e.g. to reinforce instructions, add visual interest, increase the pace of the lesson and reduce the need for verbal explanation. The voice of a teacher with a greater projection will be necessary in a large, noisy classroom. The teacher will need to adapt the complexity of his/her language to suit the level and ability of the students. The lesson can be livened up or quietened down by an alteration in the teacher's volume. Using students' names organizes an activity, acknowledges the students, indicates who is to answer or respond and gets the attention of a student. The name of a student should be used at the end of the question, not at the start. Grouping students Whole-class grouping Pros It creates a sense of belonging among the group and allows students to interact with any other class members. Suitable for activities where the teacher needs to be in control/have the attention of the class as a whole. Quicker and easier organization. Cons it reduces opportunities for students to speak, it can be off-putting to shy students who may not wish to participate in front of the whole class. Students working on their own Pros it allows teachers to respond to individual differences in pace of learning, ability etc. Less stressful for students than contributing in front of the whole class. Helps the student become more self-reliant. Cons Restricts possibilities for student to student interaction and group belonging. Pairwork Pros Dramatically increases opportunity for student talking time and student to student interaction. Allows teacher to work with certain pairs while others continue working. Gives students a safe environment to try out ideas before sharing with the group. Allows students to share ideas and thoughts. Allows stronger students to help and support weaker ones. Allows students to share responsibility for work and removes the burden from the individual. Quick and easy to organize. Cons Can be rather noisy. Students may try to revert back to their native language and avoid using English. Some students prefer to communicate only with the teacher and don't like interacting with another student. Students may find themselves working with a partner they don't particularly like. Groupwork Pros Like pair-work, it can visibly increase student talking time and student to student interaction. Personal problems are less problematic than in pairs. Encourages students to cooperate and negotiate in English. Students are able to choose their level of participation. Cons Sometimes is very noisy. Can take longer to organize and get started. The exchange of ideas among group members can slow activities down too much. Some group members may dominate and passive students don't get adequate opportunity to participate. The grouping is dictated by the class size and type of activity. Always mix things up, it gives variety to the activities. Pair and group work is highly recommended in study and activate stages. Classroom arrangement It will depend largely on the space available, type of chairs / tables, Age of the students, Nationality and student personality. It is advisable to put a weak student together with a stronger one for pair-work activities. Mixing proves to be effective when dealing with pairs who do not work well together or become problematic when working with each other. Move the students for the benefit of an activity, cohesion or discipline. This should be done firmly but politely, and from the start of the course, so that the students do not get too used to sitting in one place. When varying the seating arrangements please consider the following issues: How are the teacher/student relationships likely to vary in each case? How will it affect the classroom atmosphere? Which arrangements are the most conducive to the teacher maintaining effective control over the class? In which situation will the teacher dominate most? What will the teacher's role be in each case? Which arrangement is the most suitable for the students to be able to talk to each other? Which arrangements allow the students to communicate without interference from the teacher? How will the size of the group affect the arrangement? What activities might be suitable for each possible arrangement? Orderly Rows For many years it has been the traditional form of seating. The teacher and all the students can see each other. It makes lecturing easy, enables the teacher to maintain eye contact and helps reduce discipline problems. If well-organized the teacher should be able to move freely around the classroom. In larger classes of twenty five or more students it is often the best and only solution. Circles and horseshoes Often used in smaller classes, the teacher's position is less dominating and less feeling that a student is at the front or back of the classroom. Allows students to be more focused on the lesson And makes pairwork easier and allow students to have eye contact with all other class members. The class becomes far more intimate. Separate tables When students are seated in small groups at individual tables the classroom becomes even more informal and may create discipline problems when students feel that they are part of a small group rather than the class as a whole. The teacher is probably unable to maintain eye contact with all students. The teacher's position It can tell them: What kind of activity it is What the teacher's role will be What the students are expected to do. If you stand, then you will be seen by all students, move around the classroom and control the class. However, it can be tiring and make the students feel dominated. If you sit, you can have your materials at hand and make the classroom atmosphere feel more intimate. When monitoring the students' work, try to do so without intruding and stopping the flow. Monitor at the start of the activity to check that they have understood, and again about halfway through to check on progress and pace. The teacher’s position during the following stages Language presentation – the teacher will probably want the attention of the whole class, so standing is the best option. Giving instructions – As above the teacher needs the attention of all students. Reading activities – When students are reading there is no real need for the teacher to dominate so much. Sitting and occasional monitoring of progress would be appropriate here. Activation stage – The teacher should relax control completely and be available if needed. The teacher should remain at a distance from the activity, preferably seated. Controlled practice – Occasional monitoring but otherwise the teacher should allow the students to focus on the activity. Checking work in progress – The teacher will want to move from group to group but without intruding and stopping the flow of the work. Writing on the board and how to reduce the time with your back to the class. Use an overhead projector (OHP) if possible. Prepare cards with vocabulary. Invite the students to write on the board for you. Write on the board whilst students are engaged on a different task. Write in small sections and turn around to face the class every now and again. Make sure that you always have chalk, board pens or OHT markers and erasers to hand – they often get mislaid, 'borrowed' or worn out! Have board work already up before the class starts. If you don't want the students to see this immediately, you could always cover it with a sheet of paper until it's needed. Giving individual attention Make sure you know all the students' names. Spend longer with students who do not understand, keep the other students occupied by giving them a task to get on with. Don't teach exclusively to only the strong or weak students. Don't ask students in order, then the class will be kept on its toes. Don't allow individual students to “hog” your attention or the limelight. Make sure you know all the students' names. Include all students equally in any activity. If students do not want to, or cannot contribute, it may be better to let them remain silent. They should never feel that they are being picked on. To help build such a student's confidence, ask him/her simple questions that you know he/she is likely to be able to answer correctly, giving praise when he/she responds. Teacher talking time and Student talking time The teacher will speak more when: Presenting, checking, modelling or clarifying providing language input giving instructions, setting up activities and establishing rapport. Advantages of TTT A vital component of learning a language is exposure to it. It is a source of natural, correct English that is specifically geared to the students' ability. Disadvantages of TTT It reduces the amount of time available for students to speak and actively participate in the class. We should therefore try to keep TTT to minimal levels while still realizing that it plays a useful role. How to avoid unnecessary TTT Choose carefully the language for explanations and instructions. Avoid TEFL jargon Use gestures, mime or pictures. Don't over-elaborate. Use language that is below the level being taught. Basically, keep it simple! Giving instructions By attracting the student's attention. Making sure everyone is listening and not working. Don't give out handouts that may distract attention. At a lower level than that being taught. Longer more complex language wastes time, slows the students down and is prone to misunderstanding. Using simple language Use language at a lower level than that being taught. Longer more complex language wastes time, slows the students down and is prone to misunderstanding. Being consistent Use the same set of words for the same instruction (everybody, again, look, listen, repeat, say, turn to page …) With beginners, teach them the necessary language for following instructions. Using visual clues Reinforce instructions with visual clues; realia (real objects brought into the classroom), mime, gesture and pictures. Write the instructions on the board (or use cue cards) if you want the students to do different things. Give one instruction at a time. Don't weigh the students down with numerous, lengthy instructions that will not be understood or will be forgotten by the time they come round to doing the task. Give a demonstration as an example. Usually, showing is more effective than telling. Checking the instructions Ask students to explain back to you. Monitor to see if they are following instructions correctly. Establishing rapport Rapport is key for a class to be successful and enjoyable. Here are some practical ways to help establish rapport and class spirit: When making seating arrangements, be aware of which students get on well together and which do not. Make sure the students know each other's names and a little basic information about each other. At the beginning of a course have an ice breaking activity. Choose materials and activities that involve the students talking to each other and sharing personal opinions / ideas. Use plenty of pair-work and group-work activities. Change pairs frequently so that students have a chance to work with a variety of people. Get the students to help each other. Let students correct each other. Do not let individual students dominate the group (or yourself). Do not supply everything yourself. Elicit from the students and get them involved. Give clear instructions. Look as if you enjoy the job. Have the right manner. Be positive in everything you do. Show personal interest in the students. Personalize activities to student’s surroundings and interests. Ask for comments and opinions from the students. Don’t forget to smile! Maintaining Discipline The degree to which you will have to maintain discipline will largely depend upon a number of factors: Age of the students. Reasons for learning (motivation). Do the students want to be there? Class size. Principles and atmosphere of the school. Some institutes have a much stricter attitude towards student behavior than others do. Respect between students and teacher. Some of these factors can be influenced by the teacher while others cannot. It is important that the teacher strikes the correct balance between exercising control and encouraging a relaxed, friendly atmosphere conducive to learning. When in doubt, err on the side of control initially, especially with children and teenagers. It is much easier to relax control at a later stage than to exert it. Reasons for problem behavior There are many reasons why disciplinary problems can occur in the classroom. These can often include: Family problems. Low self-esteem. Boredom. Peer pressure. Lack of respect for the teacher/other students. Class size. Some of these problems are out of your hands but many disciplinary issues can be prevented by the teacher. Preventing problem behavior You can help stop problems arising in the first place if: you are punctual, well prepared, consistent and fair. You do not let personal feelings influence your treatment of students. You never make threats that you cannot or are not prepared to carry out. You return homework promptly never lose your temper, show the same respect for your students as you expect from them, make your lessons interesting and varied, you are enthusiastic about your teaching and you establish rapport with the students. Responding to problem behavior If you have done everything possible to prevent problem behavior, what can you do if it still arises? Act immediately – don't wait for the problem to worsen. This could simply involve stopping and looking at the student. However, sometimes stronger action may be necessary. Focus on the behavior and not the student. Change the classroom dynamic – reseat the students i f necessary/appropriate. Keep calm – shouting almost never helps. Keep the problem student behind after class and reprimand in private. Keep to the school's disciplinary code and don't make threats that you cannot enforce. Use the knowledge of your colleagues. They have probably been in the same situation before and should be able to offer suggestions. Don't be too proud to ask for advice. Bear in mind that it's possible to go 'over the top' with rules.